Ep.3 - Healing Lens: Photography as a Coping Mechanism

A contest-winning photo can look “just beautiful” until you hear what it cost to make it. We’re joined by Kate, one of the very first students to take our Kids and Cameras workshop, and now a high school senior shooting photojournalism for her school district while preparing to study mechanical engineering at the University of Arkansas.

Kate walks us through how she first learned photography, why in-person help made ISO, aperture, and shutter speed finally click, and what changed when she won a mirrorless camera in our Emotions In Nature contest. The heart of the conversation is the story behind her winning image: a frog rising above the water, captured right after she left a behavioral hospital while navigating PTSD. She explains how photography became a coping mechanism, a way to slow down, notice her surroundings, and give her emotions somewhere honest to go. We also talk about the power of pairing an artist statement with an image so the story is not lost.

From there we get practical about growth: shifting from nature photography into candid photos of people, school events, parades, and even car meets, plus what makes mirrorless cameras feel so freeing in everyday life. We dig into photojournalism as documenting history, the pressure to “pick a niche,” and why seeing someone’s raw misses can be more motivating than scrolling their perfect Instagram grid.

Subscribe to Kids and Cameras on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, share this with a young photographer in your life, and leave a review. What’s one photo you took that means more than it looks like at first glance?

Transcript

Welcome And The Mission

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Kids and Cameras Podcast. I'm Brendan Watts, and I'm your founder of Kids and Cameras. Our mission is to empower young people through photography by helping them learn real technical skills while also using photography as a way to express emotions and tell stories. Today I'm sitting here with Kate, who was actually one of the first students who took our Kids and Cameras workshop. And she later went to win the emotions and wildlife photography contest that we hosted and won a camera. Today we're going to talk about her journey in photography, where she's being photographed and since winning the contest and having her own camera, seeing how her own camera helped her grow as a photographer. So how are you doing today, Kate?

SPEAKER_02 0:44

I'm doing wonderful. I'm so glad to meet you.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Hey, we're glad to have you. Glad to have

Meet Kate And What She Shoots

SPEAKER_00 0:50

you. So uh if you want to tell us a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_02 0:53

Okay, so I'm a senior in high school right now. I'm about to graduate and I think about a month or two. So but uh I'm an intern as well at the Rogers School District, and I do photography there as well. A lot of it is photojournalism, and then I plan on going to the U of A next year as well.

SPEAKER_00 1:13

So tell them what your major is going to be.

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Uh mechanical engineering does not have much to do with uh photography, but I feel like there's a there is a good blend that you can add between it that I don't think a lot of people think of.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Definitely. That's awesome though. Congrats on everything you have going on. So uh what brought your first interest into photography?

SPEAKER_02 1:38

Honestly, like this this wasn't my first camera. I didn't bring my other camera, but it was like this little DSLR, and that's what I used for my photo in the Kids and Cameras Emotions contest. But my brother, he got that camera as a gift for his graduation from high school because he was really into photography and stuff like that. And so, like, I think when I was around 12, maybe 11, um, he let me start using that camera, and that's slowly kind of how I got into it. And like a lot of it was just taking like photos of whatever. Yeah, it was just like I think that's how I think a majority of people start, they're just like, I'm just gonna take a photo of whatever I find.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

Exactly.

Learning Manual Mode In Person

SPEAKER_00 2:22

That's awesome. So um, so you did our first Kids and Cameras workshop. It was my very first workshop that I ever done. We had it at the Fairville Public Library. I think at that time we was calling it the set of stars workshop.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:38

Um, so how do you feel like that workshop influenced you, or did it help, or was it just a waste of time?

SPEAKER_02 2:46

I honestly think it helped a lot because like when I started, I self-taught myself everything. You know, I didn't know anything. And so, like getting to actually know manual, like, you know, like you can always YouTube things, but like that can only go.

SPEAKER_00 3:02

Go so far, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:04

And it's a it's a decent, I wish I brought it because then you could see like how many buttons are on it too. And I'm just like, what is this? You know, and so like actually having someone sit down with me and going like, this is what this does, this is what that does, instead of just being like, hey guys, like you know, on a YouTube video, it's a lot different. And so I found it incredibly helpful, you know. And that's I don't think that without that um that workshop, I would be like understanding the level I do now, you know, because it's it's a lot to it's a lot.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

It's a lot, it's definitely a lot to know, it's a lot to take in. I I think I'm kind of like you as well, like I'm self-taught. So um the YouTube videos really wasn't my thing. Uh, because once when you get to a certain point, and then it's like I don't understand this, it's like you can't ask that video questions. It's like you kind of just stuck or whatever, especially when it comes to editing. That's like really biz. So um, yeah, I took my first uh workshop at um Bedford Camera and Video, which kind of how I went through it with y'all, is how that helped me kind of taught me what all the sales were with ISO, aperture, so the speed was how it works together. And then after you have that basic foundation after that, it's just practice. So no, I can definitely relate to you on that one. Um, well, I'm happy you enjoyed the workshop. I hope you you know it wasn't a waste of time. So, you know, made me feel good. Um, so all right, so let's

Inside The Student Photo Contest

SPEAKER_00 4:47

move on. So the contests. So um, as y'all didn't know, we had an emotions in nature in real life contest. Uh, we ended up having 70 submissions, and we had 150 people attending the award ceremony, and we had it broke down from third through sixth grade, seventh through ninth grade, 10th through 12th grade. So, for the first place winners at East Grade level, uh, we gave away a mirrorless camera, and it was awesome seeing like all the works of art from all of the students. And even at that time, like uh when I called you to the stage to uh win the camera, at that time I was just like, man, she looks so familiar, but had no idea. I was like, She looked so familiar, and then you came up to me afterwards and was like, hey, I don't know if you remember, but you took, I took your very first word shopping, then it all came back. So, you know, that's like a full circle moment, and that's that was awesome uh seeing that. So um, how did you feel? Like we caught your name, uh, you just coming out there and get the camera.

SPEAKER_02 5:58

That was like surreal. I remember like even like the moments leading up to it. Like, I went there with my boyfriend and my family came separate, but like that whole time I was telling her, I was like, it ain't gonna be me. Like, it ain't gonna be me. And so I was like, when I heard my name, I was like, and I think like there was a little accident too with the projector. We uh you get like it accidentally skipped one, and then I was like, Yeah, your mom was just like so and I think like that whole time I was like, that just happened. Like even now, I I like I think about it, and I'm just like that.

SPEAKER_00 6:37

Nah, your photo was incredible.

The Frog Photo And PTSD

SPEAKER_00 6:39

Um can you tell them about your photo? I saw it on the screen later, yeah, in the edit, in the post, but go ahead and tell them about your photo.

SPEAKER_02 6:49

That photo has like a lot of like uh it has a big story behind it, is what I think. And like I was re-watching some of like your episodes because I was keeping up with the the series, but I was re-watching it and uh like it reminded me of like uh your photo of Juice World. Even like months later, like it has a new story, and like like I took that photo the day after I had just I think it was either the same day I got out of um a behavioral hospital. I was in a behavioral hospital for about a week for my PTSD, and I think I took that photo either that same day I got out or like the day after. I just remember I went to Lake Atlanta and Rogers in my pajamas with my camera, and I was just like, it's like I need I need some fresh air because when you're in that hospital, you know, you don't really get to go outside that much. But like, you know, I was kind of just like you know, doing doing my own thing and just trying to like kind of calm my mind after like that whole experience because it was a lot, but like it was like I think it kind of taught me like the importance of photography to me as like a coping mechanism because it's like it really makes you sit down and be like like pay attention to your surroundings compared to like in normal situations where it's like I feel like in life we're really kind of like go, go, go all the time. And that's something photography kind of taught me how to do is like slow down. And so the importance of that photo was like at that time I didn't really realize it, but like the more I looked at it and the more I like I went back and looked at it, it was like it it reminded me of a saying that my mom always told me, and I think a lot of Hispanic people will relate to this too. There's like a saying we have it's like sana sana curios, and basically like that translation in English is like it's a it sounds really weird in English, but it's like heal, heal like a tail of a frog. If you don't heal today, you'll hear heal tomorrow. And so that photo, like if you look at it, it's a frog. And so like I remember like in that point in my my life, it was like a lot of like healing from a lot of things that happened when I was younger, and so like like at the time, like I didn't really understand how significant like that moment would be, but like now that I'm older, I think took that photo what three ago? I don't know how long ago I took that photo, and it was a hot minute. Yeah, but like now I'm like I'm like man, like I've come in a far away when it comes to my PTSD and like trying to understand and like kind of just trying to understand myself and like the world around me, you know.

SPEAKER_00 9:44

Yeah, yeah, and like when we saw that photo, uh, me and the other judges, we saw the photo, it's like, oh, like the photo was great, like the the fraud popping out uh above the water, just the glistening of the water on the frog, like everything. Like the photo was great, but when we actually read the artist statement with the photo, and we was just like, this is what we wanted, like sewing how you like all the emotions that was in that photo. Because if you look at the photo, the photo's just great. But then when you read the artist statement with it and how you open up, and we do I appreciate you doing that. Like, I don't think that's something easy to do, something easier to talk about. So uh just the simple fact that you actually took the photo and let the emotions just pure in it, and then to bless us with sharing it with us is incredible. So definitely thank you for that. But that's what put the photo over the limit was just the emotional part of that and just the vulnerability in your art. So it was it was awesome.

What Changed After Winning

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Um so since the photo contest um and using the the new chem, what have what have you been photographing?

SPEAKER_02 11:10

Oh, a lot. I think like right now, I think like starting photography, I did a lot of nature, but I did a huge transition into like taking photos of people like candids and stuff like that, and like a lot of photojournalism.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 11:26

So like I do a lot of the photography for my school, and then I also work with like the school district and whatnot. Um and I get to take photos of like all these events that go around and like all these kiddos, and I that's like my main focus right now when it comes to photography. But sometimes I do like still kind of step back and like this camera, the one that I got, like this. I think I carry this thing everywhere with me. Like, I I don't think I can go anywhere without it if it's perfectly in my purse. Like, I think it's like the good combination of like it's very simple, but it still has all that like kind of like I guess like like it has manual to it, it has like all that all the tools that you need to get a good photo out of it, and so like I love carrying it with me, and like anytime I see something, I'm like, oh, I gotta go take a photo of it. So like I take this, I think, everywhere I go. Yeah, like like I have been exploring photography a whole lot more ever since I got this. Like, and I don't think people realize how like nice some of these mirror lists are. Like this, I was like, oh my god, because this is so much lighter than like a DS DSLR and stuff.

SPEAKER_00 12:46

So I finally I actually upgraded my camera because I went from a Nikon D750 and I got the Nikon Z8 and just the likeness of it. But even then, the lenses that I was using was still from the DSLR, so I had an uh adapter piece to make those lenses fit on my camera. And then I finally it's like, okay, I'm gonna buy me a new lens for this camera. And I brought that the Z series lens for my Nikon Z8, and just the lens with that camera is so much lighter. I said, oh my goodness, like it makes me want to go and replace all my lenses and get Z quality lenses because it's faster. Like you probably noticed with that one, the autofocus is faster, the quality's better, um, and the colors look better too.

SPEAKER_02 13:38

The colors are crazy, like on this compared to my DSLR. Like, it's it's insane. Like, I'm just like, whoa, like that's so much colorful. So, like, it's wonderful.

SPEAKER_00 13:52

And then I think the last time I saw you was at the car sale.

SPEAKER_02 13:57

Yeah, that's another thing I've been really into as well, is like cars. Yeah, I've been going to a whole bunch of car meets and taking photos and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00 14:06

So, yeah, that's that's that's a good car car meet. My friend, he has the what is it, the Audi RS7.

SPEAKER_02 14:14

Yeah, I saw I saw it, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:16

Yeah, so he he's all about it. So he's like, Hey, you want to go to this? I'm like, Yeah, I go, I take my camera and like take some pictures of stuff like that. So yeah, all the cars out there, it was great. And then I know people is just getting incredible photos and stuff like that. I actually saw some of the ones that you had posted. They look good.

SPEAKER_01 14:35

Oh, thank you. Thank you.

Photojournalism As Living History

SPEAKER_00 14:38

Yeah, so um, photo journalism. Um, I'm gonna photo journalism too. I also I like documenting moments just because it's like these moments will only happen once. Gotta be there, capture it. And uh, you want to try to get the very best of those moments. Like I talk about that a lot just in the client work that I do. Like mostly what I do is events, corporate events, uh, nonprofit events, stuff like that. But I also just like going out in Bittonville the first Friday or first Thursday in Fedville and just documenting stuff, or the times I documented a protest. I I I look at those photos as I'm documenting history. Like as soon as that photo's captured, I just documented history. You post it, you know, you now have like 10, 15, 20 years from now, but you're still gonna have these photos from the Car Me or these photo journalists on photos that you take, and then when you take, and when you reshare them, it's like get it go back in time. Yeah or whatever. So I really think it's awesome to do that. I also like going, like when I travel and going to like other countries and documenting people and stuff like that. Like I'm real big on the culture of the place. Like, I I always tell people if I go somewhere, I was like, I want to be in the touristy spots, like take me with the locals. Yeah, like show me, show me the environment and stuff like that, and let me actually see if I'm that way. So, or just even just going to Dallas or something, got the touristy spot, but then the locals in Dallas, like, where do y'all hang out? Where do y'all go? What where am I missing that you know everybody goes here? But where is the the hole in the raw spot? So so yeah, so um, yeah, I like I like

Finding A Niche Without Limits

SPEAKER_00 16:35

all of that. Um, so would you say photos are in a list on right now? Is your favorite type of photography? Uh or what's your favorite?

SPEAKER_02 16:43

Favorites hard, favorite. Because like, oh my gosh, that's that's a tough. I never thought about that. Like, and like I think like a lot of photographers get stumped with that question too, because it's like, I know you were talking about this in one of your other episodes too, about like how every photographer kind of like I think people think like everyone has to have their own niche. And like, like there's wedding photographers, like you have to stick with weddings and whatnot. But like that's so hard to do, especially when you're starting out and you're exploring all these new things because it's like I want to do this and I want to do that, you know, and it's it's so hard for me to pick a favorite because there's so much I love, you know.

SPEAKER_00 17:27

Yeah, I think I think with me, I think it's for business wise, I think it's good to niss down so people actually understand what you do and what you specialize, and then let all the other stuff follow because I don't care what one photographer does. They might be like, okay, this is what they're advertised, but they still do a lot of other different things, or they have this is how I make my money, but then these are my passing projects and stuff. So yeah, I think I think it even varies for me. Like I know I love studio photography, I love um solo portraits of the individual, no props, anything like that, just capturing them and creating wall art with it. So I I still think that rank's pretty high with me, and then a strong second would be just the documentation, this where I'm out and just documenting candid sites and stuff like that. I think that'll probably be like a strong second. Yeah, but it just varies because I think it also depends where I'm at. Like, am I out the country taking these photographs? And then I'm like, oh yeah. I'm like, oh, I love this. I like this. Like uh me and my wife went in London. I did a lot of black and white photography. That's all I did when I was over there. And I'm just like, I'm documenting everybody. Like, we got I got on the big red tour bus stay because I do a lot of touristy stuff where it's my first time going to a place. So it's a quick way for me to see places. So I'm just on the bus and I'm just snapping people in the crowd. Like, like, oh yeah, I'm like, I had this one guy, he was posted up on the wall smoking a uh cigarette, and then he gives up a walk, but he had like a long peat coat on. It was very London. Like it's like the TV shows and that I watch. So um, yeah, I think that would be some of my um some of my some of my favorites as well. But I I definitely like that you're exploring and that you're testing out all the different paths and stuff. Because I feel I tell people I was like, if you're doing commercial events and you're doing weddings that help, if you're doing portraits that help with that, just because learning how to create sites, I feel like when you're doing a lot of different things and you're finding yourself and finding your style, um, each one of those helps with another. Like if you're doing sports photography and the moments are happening fast and quick, you're tuning yourself into documenting those high energy moments, how to catch that site that's passing by so quick. So then when you're doing uh vent and it's slower spac, uh it's slower moving, yeah. Like you feel like you have all this time to really set up because you used to that high impact of having to shoot fast to, oh, now when you shoot at something slower, it helps out. So I think all of that, no matter what you're doing, it all helps develop uh your skills.

Mentoring Younger Photographers

SPEAKER_00 20:39

So um I guess moving on with the practices, is there any other special things that you're doing to improve your skills? Or is there any way that you like try to challenge yourself?

SPEAKER_02 20:51

Yeah. I think like right now, like I'm I'm about to be a senior in high school, or well, I am a senior. I'm about to graduate, is what I mean. But like, you know, I do the photography for my school, and so there's gonna be a point where I graduate and it's like, who's gonna come after me? You know? And like I think one of my biggest challenges is like, how do I be a mentor to my team members who like are underclassmen, you know, they're right in the grades below me, and like I'm having to teach them. And it's like, I think like I see a lot of myself in them, you know, because it's like, cause they're like they were, you know, they were at the same point I was where it's like this is all new to them and they want to try all these things. And it's like I always try to tell them, like, yeah, try all those new things, like just teach yourself, like, don't don't create those barriers of like it has to be perfect all the time. And so, like with them, like that's like it's been a like a challenge, I think more for me because it's like I'm trying to understand like how do I be a good mentor for someone else, you know? like I don't think people realize like how like it makes me look in into myself a lot more than I thought I would have you know and so that's definitely been like something I've been dealing with.

SPEAKER_00 22:13

So when you figure out how to be a better mentor please let me know I'm better mentors. It's all a work look the same questions you be asking yourself, I'm still asking myself that as well. It's a work in progress. Oh but uh I like I like that you're passionate enough and that you actually want to pass it down and teach the next person who's going to be coming after you. I think that um that means a lot it's also like you got your photography you found something that makes you happy and you're passing that down to others to see if maybe they like it too. So you know we got the same goals we got the same goals. Let me see where should we go from here with uh so with photography since you started doing photography and I know you spoke earlier about how it slows things down how it brings patience and stuff like that and how you kind of see that just with everything that you do um what's got any other ways that it made me see things differently or just see the world differently yeah I think like especially with photojournalism it's made me like kind of see things a lot differently it brings me like a lot of joy to get to take photos of other people in those candid moments because it's like I guess like growing up with PTFC and stuff like that, it's like there's a lot of negativity around you know and it's hard to like escape that negativity you know and it it feels like like it can be really overwhelming at times but I think like that's one of the things I really love about photojournalism is that like especially with like my work right now doing it with the school district like I get to see all these like kids like and they're just all like joyful and they're getting to enjoy like all these different events that like our school district hosts and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02 24:15

And it's like like I get to do like parades and stuff like that. And it's honestly like it's been really like almost like fulfilling for me because like I get to see them joyful and I get to capture those moments of them. And it's like and like I think it's like looking back at it you know you can look back at it and be like wow like you know like this was me when I was younger and stuff like that, you know?

SPEAKER_00 24:41

And so I always really find joy in that and like it's always so fun to see like how the kids react when they see me or like they don't even know who I am but they just see that I have a camera with me and they're like oh yeah they turn it on video it's just it's really like a joyful experience for me I feel like you know do you feel like while you're doing those and taking photographs of people that uh it kind of helped you understand their emotions better because you're trying to capture their emotions. So do you feel like you can pick up on it better because that also helps with the better like taking a better photo as well. So okay cool.

Keeping Photography Through College

SPEAKER_00 25:25

So with photography um I know you're engineering major so you know get that engineering degree stuff like that uh I kind of feel like you probably always keep a a camera in hand either while doing that do you have any type of photography ghost or anything that you would want to accomplish short term, long term?

SPEAKER_02 25:46

Honestly like I I still like even though I'm going into such a field that like it feels like photography isn't really in it I still want to keep it up. You know I feel like like even if it's not professionally if I'm not doing it as a career I feel like it's a good way like even for me to like slow my role sometimes because I think like with how many things I do I'm constantly like I gotta do this I got to do that. And so like that's definitely something that I want to like keep up doing and then like goals wise I think like there's even some things in engineering that like I've been doing recently that have been have required cameras surprisingly you know and so like even like I I get to take two of the things that I love doing and like kind of bring them close together and that's something that I've enjoyed but I definitely I definitely want to try to keep it up especially as I go on to the U of A'm gonna try to figure out a way that I can keep my photography alive while I'm over there and like still keep up that photojournalism. So that's something I'm really interested in over there.

SPEAKER_00 26:54

That's that's awesome. I know if you ever get into um sports over there Walt Beasley is the person who does the photography for the Arkansas racer bats with Go Racer bats. Y'all killing it right now so rule pissu. But yeah he does a lot of it I know sometimes he would um he would hire students that work there to help photograph certain things and stuff like that. So maybe that's a connection I can try to make for you if you're interested.

Progress Over Perfection Advice

SPEAKER_00 27:30

Do you have any advice for any of the younger photographers out there?

SPEAKER_02 27:36

Honestly like just start I think like I think like going back to like the whole mentor thing it's like I've I've learned that you know I think in like a lot of different art you know I think and just in general like work like we are so focused on like and specifically me too and it's like I'm so focused on trying to be a perfectionist at whatever I do and like I think that's like something that I feel like delayed my progress almost when I first started out doing photography is like I was like trying to make sure that I was perfect at everything that I do but I think that's like impossible you know like like and that's something that has been a really big challenge for me. And I think like one of my biggest pieces of advice is just like just start like it doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be you know like the best thing in the world it's not gonna it it doesn't have to be something like that goes on national geographic or like you know something like that. But just starting out and knowing that you can get better over time you know instead of just being like I have to be perfect as I start you know and so that's my biggest advice.

SPEAKER_00 28:50

And that's that's some good advice because I think even with me doing photography like I remember when I first started out and I was like oh yeah I took a photo and I was like oh my goodness this is the best site this should be in a magazine. I was like me and my friend at the time we did a um a photo suit on a plane he he made designer dress suits and stuff like that so took took these photographs or whatever I remember it's like oh yeah these are it like put this on put this in the magazine this would be on the cover all of this stuff and then like a couple of years later we did some more photos and it's like looking back at the old photos like man you remember what we thought like this was the best site ever like could it nobody touch us but now we're looking at our work now really like my work now is like putting that to same or whatever. So I think it's I think it's always growing no matter how well seasoned you are in photography, there's always ways to grow there's always new techniques to be learned. No one photographer has the answers to everything. Yeah so and then how you were saying like for every great like one great site or whatever, there's 50 to 100 bad sites in there. I think that's important for people to realize like we get stuck at looking at a person's Instagram or something like that to be like oh yeah all their work all their work is like incredible they can't take a bad site but we're curating that Instagram to what we feel like it's our best sites. So it's like if I do when I need to do a whole bus of photo suits and uh just to like build the portfolio my goal was I may do an hour two hour photo suit but my whole goal was it's like I just need three good shots because that's when I was on Instagram posting. So I just like I just need three good shots. Anything besides that is just me showing work that can hurt me. So I was like I'm looking for the best three shots in here and I was like it normally comes easy because everybody takes those photos and then you see one you be like oh yeah that's it I love it or whatever sometimes it can be a little bit harder than that when it's like small little movements or changes but that's always my goal. I was like I just want three good photos three good photos because even I think a lot of people don't realize it but like somebody might hire me and do a photo suit and we're gonna take a lot of incredible sites and stuff like that. And you want those sites and you want to hold on to them. So it's either create an album so you can have all the sites in there but that's the only way somebody really gets all the sites compared to if they want sites to be like oh I want to print this out and hang it up in the house. Nobody's printing out 20 photos put up in their house unless it's like old school like my grandma see me the whole wall. Oh yeah like you know like there's no space on the wall be like oh look there's some space right there for a four-by shit to fit it up in there. So um but yeah so I think it's those key sites. I even notice it like with a lot of wedding photographers if you didn't realize like what they post they're posting they post some of the event sites or something like that. But for the most part they're posting like the superposed site at the wedding and stuff to sew off their work and all of that stuff and then you miss all the stuff in between.

SPEAKER_02 32:28

So um yeah yeah I think like a lot of people don't even realize that too and like that's something that I talked about with my my boss uh Mr. Ivester that I work with with the school district is like we look at each other's raws and it's like it's really like a lot more realistic seeing another photographer because it's like I think like we see other photographers and we're like we we always see their best work. We never see the in-between and it's like and I always say that to the kids I mentor too I'm like do not look at my good shots I'm like because like we could open up my SD card and plug it in and there'll be so many raws in there that are blurry.

SPEAKER_00 33:06

Right but yeah I miss focus. Oh I was aiming at the wrong thing or just the composition of it like there there be a lot of stuff that's why like when you hear like sports photographers or like even at some high end like commercial events that I do I see him be next to another photographer or something you hear they'll take a picture and it's like they just took so many shots and all I'm sitting here thinking is I get it. I've been there I do that as well but also I just gave myself in five seconds 20 shots that I got to go through and then I got to try to pick out of the small little movement which was better. Oh that drives me crazy sometimes sometimes I already just take my time and just go click click click then do a first but sometimes you have to especially when it comes to sports just because you know you got somebody going up for a dunk or just anything it's yeah you gotta get that you got to get that perfect site and it happens so quick or like track I saw some stuff at um at the racer back track where they like was nice enough for getting me a pass just so I can go in there and uh suit around and take some sights or whatever. But when they sit here doing a long joke that was me.

SPEAKER_02 34:28

Yeah because it's like those those little seconds matter.

SPEAKER_00 34:32

It do it do because I was like you you have sites where depending on the hair like I got long hair that one side might might have the hair coming across my face and then the next side it's moving when you can actually see both my eyes compared to so it's it depends on what you're going for but that makes a difference. I just I told myself I wasn't being creative enough so um I ended up setting up uh a camera at the house and doing hair size of myself and I got one where I like flipped my hair my hair so um I I really loved it I like got it like this and I got a neutral expression but all the hairs were in the right spot but if you look at the other ones in between like I got one actually still liked it but I had one where a piece of hair like flew on my eye so my one of my eyes is open the other one's like halfway closed but it's also a cool looking photo. So I think you know just finding out which sites and just keep practicing. That's pretty blessed this and don't worry about if you're not getting great shots if you got one great side in there it's like hey look this that might be all you need. Yeah and normally only one cover photo right they ain't sewing they ain't showing how many sites it took for this one cover photo they probably took a hundred a hundred and fifty two hundred sights trying to get a cover photo for a magazine probably even more than that or whatever for one photo.

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SPEAKER_00 36:05

So yeah don't get discouraged by looking at other people's words like you're everybody got their own race everybody finishes at a certain time everybody starts at a certain time so you know just keep going that's my that's our advice the quality over quantity yeah yeah that's that that's be it definitely quality over quantity um so before we wrap it up you anything else you want to let the people know anything else you want to let the people uh talk about I'm not too sure not too sure all right um do you you got a photography Instagram page I do yes yeah give your followers up let them know I think it's uh it's photography 13 I'm trying to remember it but I don't remember it all the time there we go well it'd be at the bottom so we made sure wherever it is yeah so uh yeah I think I think that pretty much wraps it up that I think this was a good podcast it's funny thank you for having me hey I appreciate you coming you're the first guest look you did the first photo works out uh you were our first camera in our kids and cameras contest and now you're our first guest on the kids and camera podcast you know you know I'm gonna have like this blow up a picture of you and throw it on the well site like hey you hitting records over here for kids and cameras so but yeah thank you it's uh a pleasure having you um make sure y'all go and subscribe to the kids and cameras podcast you can find us on YouTube Apple Spotify all of the things um and if if you want to know more uh reach out to us you can um go to our real site kidsandcameras.org follow up follow us on Instagram at kids and cameras and if you want to know how to be a sponsor to sponsor one of our episodes yeah reach out and that's it I'm Brendan Watts this is Kate spin a pleasant